


Lithium Flower

by lets_cellabrate630



Category: B1A4
Genre: Awkward Sexual Situations, Cyberpunk, Cybersex, Dark Comedy, Developing Relationship, Drugs, Forced Prostitution, Ghost in the Shell AU, Multi, Police, Slow Burn, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 23:02:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7733197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lets_cellabrate630/pseuds/lets_cellabrate630
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Major Park Bom is a jaded elite soldier from the Mobile Riot Police, her flame gone cold with the death of Sheena, her younger sister. Shinwoo is a human-like A.I. from an illegal cyberbrain, the C.N.U., who was activated by Bom in an attempt to replicate Sheena. The two are on the run, with the aid of some friends, they manage to seek refuge with four broke (but still cute) men: Sandeul, Jinyoung, Baro and Gongchan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: Takes place in a Ghost in the Shell AU and uses terminology from the series. Descrpitions here may not match the exact one in the series. May also contain references Appleseed.
> 
> Contains violence. death (nothing major), suicidal thoughts, references to fictional illegal drugs and criminal activities.
> 
> If you're okay with that, go ahead.

**_Trip City, 2026 A.C. (After Collapse)_ **

  
Trip City, the Crime Capital of South Korea… formerly known as Seoul. A hundred years ago, the buildings here produced sought-after cyborg body parts, but now they're no more than decaying structures. The city is literally and figuratively covered in grime from top to bottom - the slums is a breeding ground for bacteria, the rivers polluted beyond rehabilitation, the sewers bubbling with toxic waste and the sky itself has been choked by the smog from the factories that still operate. To think this place was once a buzzing metropolis like Neo Tokyo is almost a joke...

Standing atop the crumbling BTS Tower are two women, observing the city central of Trip City. One of them has jet black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, leaving only a long lock dangling on the left side of her face. In contrast, the other one has bright purple hair, with one side shaved, giving her an edgy feel. The black-haired woman wears a heavy dark grey trench coat over a white tee while her companion has a khaki coat and a moss green shirt, and they both don urban camouflage fatigues and black combat boots.

With a blue visor, the black-haired woman zooms in at the slums, and even though she's 34 storeys above ground, she can still see the streets in all their gritty glory. While scanning a section of the slums, something catches her eye and her hyperfast cyberbrain processes the data in a fraction of a second.

  
_Processing_  
_UNC-Address_B2EA1PARKSHEENA  
_Coordinates_35.217255N_71.025421W  
_Save?_[Yes][No]

  
“See something interesting, Bom?” asked the woman with purple hair.

Bom saves the coordinates to Sheena's location to track her down. She removes the visor so she can access the 4D map of Trip City stored in her external drive. A second later and she got her target.

“Found her. 14th Street, Bling District. She seems to be moving. I'll go get her now.” Bom casually informs her companion.

“Wow, that over-hyped Rocket Vision's Zoom View must be something if you can see little Shinnie-ah when we’re this far up.”

“It's expensive, but it's a good investment, Dara.” Bom turns to her companion, removing her visor to reveal her eyes, red as blood, a lit LED circle surrounding her pupil. A mark of a high-quality cyborg body, produced for advanced combat purposes.

“Anyway, do you have any luck?” Bom asks, glancing at Dara.

“Luck? Of course!” Dara chirps. “Bad luck, though. Think I _might_ have led them to us.”

Bom sighs and shakes her head when she hears the unmistakable siren of cop cars gathering around them.  The police chief called out for them to surrender, but the two women ignore him. Regular cops like them are no match for Jacks like them anyway.

“Look, I know you live on the edge, but finding and retrieving Sheena is our primary concern here.” she speaks calmly, despite the commotion below. “I'll let you play tonight, so distract them while I go look for Sheena. When you're done---”

Dara interrupts her with a chuckle, low in her throat. She walks to the edge of the edge of the rooftop, discarding her trench coat in the process while mumbling about Bom's poor taste in clothes.

“I know. Don't worry.” Dara says in a nonchalant tone, but she's not playing around. This is a soldier ready to engage in combat to protect her friends. “I have no regrets. Whatever happens to me is my problem. Remember, under no circumstances can the C.N.U. fall into the wrong hands. Shinwoo is still pure, who knows what they might do to him if they find him first. So, go. I got you covered. Trust me on this one, Bommie.”

Bom huffs indignantly, turning the other way. “Just... be safe, Dara.” she reminds, walking away without looking back. She knows Dara is smiling, though. Moving in faster than sound, Bom is suddenly gone, leaving nothing but an afterimage.

Dara closes her eyes and takes a deep, calming breath. Cyborgs don't breathe, but it's a force of habit. Opening her cybernetic eyes to look up into the hazy night sky, Dara recites the creed of Section 9.

**_“I'm a soldier, both the defendant and the judge. I stand on both sides of the fire, overtaking death and life. I run to battle with the shadow of a lie. No matter how many threads deception would weave, truth will show its face.”_ **

With that, the purple-haired girl jumps down, head first, from the 34-story tower. The wind slices through her synthetic skin, but she feels nothing but the thrill of an imminent battle. To anyone watching below, she just committed suicide. Dara's body is capable of withstanding 3,400 Gs without a scratch. This won't even dent her. A few feet before she hits home, Dara flips so her feet are falling first.

The already weak ground cracks under the force of her landing, sending rubble flying towards the police. She stands up, whipping her hair out of her face and smirks at the police while raising her hands in mock surrender... before her forearms split to reveal automatic assault rifles. The police back away, uninformed by their superior that they're about to take on one of Korea's strongest soldiers.

“Well then...” Dara smirks, putting her fingers on the triggers. “Play with me.”

* * *

A dejected-looking man trudges along the perpetually trash-filled streets of Trip City. He looks good, but his black hair is all messed up and his clothes are a disaster. His necktie is improperly done, his dress shirt has stains all over the front and the bottom part of his slacks and his (fake) leather shoes are caked in mud. A beat-up briefcase dangles limply from his hand, stuck together with duct tape and stapler. He's smiling brokenly, his eyes wide and unfocused as he walks aimlessly. Trip City has a naturally gloomy atmosphere, but this guy just radiates depression.

“Thirteen times... thirteen times...” he mumbles to himself, stepping on a dead rat and not noticing it.

“I was rejected thirteen times... All my interviews... all failed... All my hard work...” he bumps into some hobo who yells at him, but he doesn't hear it because he's too lost in his own thoughts.

_Wake up and avoid stepping on Gongchan's tissues or Jinyoung's condoms. Clean and inspect body to make sure it's working properly. Look for a job opening in Synchron City and immediately send resume. Take the bullet train to Synchon City and continue looking for job openings. Stay at the park during lunch and oggle the pretty girls. Continue looking for work until dinner. Go back to the park to oggle the pretty girls again. Go to a bar or strip club and find a sexbot to fuck. Finally, take the bullet train back to Trip City empty-handed._

That is the life of Lee Junghawn, a.k.a. Sandeul, the idiot who fucked up big time in his old job and can't find a new one because of it. He thought his qualifications were enough to override the fact that Torukia sacked him, but no.

_Apparently, getting axed by Torukia means you are either incompetent or you did some shit like steal money from the company. Hey, I messed up one fucking string. Four characters… four fucking characters at the end of the string. It corrupted the code, so what? Why didn't they bother fixing it? Why did they just kick my ass out like that? I didn't even get a chance to fix it. They just... fucking..._

“WHERE'S THE FUCKING JUSTICE IN THAT?!” he screams, unable to handle it anymore. “I GOT AXED, SO FUCK WHAT, BITCHES?! WHY THE FUCK WON'T YOU FUCKING HIRE ME?!”

This is getting out of control. Sandeul has spent four months finding work, but he's just burning what little money he has left on the transport fare. He keeps getting job interviews, but they never accept him even though he's over-qualified for the position. His pride is too high to accept 'janitor' or 'orderly' as a job, though. He's still lucky that he's a full cyborg, so he only needs maintenance once a month, unlike humans who have to eat everyday. That still doesn't explain why Sandeul went from living in a classy penthouse in the heart of Synchron City to squeezing himself into a tiny, dirty apartment in the slums of Trip City.

Sandeul throws his briefcase in frustration at his desperate situation. Seriously, he's going to fry his limbic cord and melt his hypothalamus if he doesn't cool his head. He calms himself, his body automatically injecting a cooling fluid on his heated limbic cord before it sparks. Thank god for the free cyborg body he got from Torukia, because the cheap ones from Trip City just suck. A few seconds pass and he cools down completely. Now feeling better, Sandeul continues walking.

“W-Watch out...!”

Sandeul had a split second to look up... and gets a face-full of booty. They crash down, hard, and if Sandeul was still human, he'd be dead from the impact of his head hitting the rough gravel. Good thing his entire body is protected by an advanced shock-absorption system.

“Ow... my butt...”

The booty has big, round cheeks and it smells so good, like flowers blooming in the spring. Normally, Sandeul would mind having someone sit on his face (unless they have a sweet honeypot to lick), but this booty is just marvelous. It's the first time he's had such a nice booty on his face. Most of the sexbots have hard butts and the human girls are sometimes too jiggly or too flat. But this one has the perfect mix of softness and firmness. He wished it wasn't clothed so he can spread the cheeks and kiss that tiny rosebud.

“Um... Can you please... not... do that...?” a masculine voice asks above him.

Sandeul didn't realize he was kneading the booty in one hand while the other caressed the person's thick, smooth thigh. Okay, so the voice clearly belongs to a male. Come to think of it, he feels a bulge at the front _._

_Ah, I'll have to settle for an ass if that's what life throws at me. Beggars can't be picky. The sexbots get boring and the humans can never keep up with a cyborg's stamina. No, wait. Beggars, the classy ones like me, **can** be picky._

To his disappointment, the booty removes itself from its face. Sandeul sits up to look at the owner of that bountiful ass. Embarrassed, the boy hides his face with his long, black hair, and Sandeul, determined to see who that booty belongs to. So, Sandeul roughly shoves the hair out of the boy's face and takes a good, hard look. And his (not-quite) breath gets caught in his throat.

Despite being male, this guy's a bombshell of epic proportions. That's coming from girl-loving Sandeul. This boy has really pretty eyes with long, thick lashes, brown cyborg eyes (the LED circle around the pupil is a cyborg trademark) framed by thick-rimmed black glasses, delicate features and a small-ish face. His pouty lips are a bit parted, showing his bunny-like front teeth, which are just too cute to ignore (Sandeul likes toothy blowjobs too!). But he also has... manly, broad shoulders, a flat chest... and possibly a dick too.

His clothing style is cute, though. The boy's wearing a oversized yellow jacket, unzipped to show a black mesh shirt. His gorgeous, long legs are exposed by his dark blue shorts, and his red sneakers (Wait, are those Keds?) finish the look off. Primary colors must be in season.

“Um... um...” the boy shrinks away from Sandeul's hungry gaze, looking flustered. “S-Sorry, mister... Are... are you hurt...?”

He's so shy and cute, Sandeul could jump him then and there, but he wants their first time to be special, so he stands up, dusts himself (not like that will help since he's already so dirty), and offers his hand to the boy...er, man, since he looks to be in his early twenties.

_The broad shoulders might be strange, but the face is definitely not manly enough to be a turn-off. Kid’s still too pretty to be a guy. It's like they slapped a girl's face on a guy's body... or vice versa. Ugh, whatever. That booty is gonna be mine tonight..._

The long-haired man seems to read Sandeul's perverse thoughts and stands up on his own, albeit painfully because of the fall. His knees buckle under his weight and Sandeul catches him before he falls again.

“Easy does it. Are you hurt?” Sandeul asked, clutching at the man's waist to steady him.

“N-No, I'm fine... please let go of me...” he sounds scared, and he should be. Sandeul only tightens his hold, eliciting a distressed whimper from him.

_It sounds kinda cute... I want him to moan my name now... Damn, Junghwan, calm your dick!_

“I think you hurt yourself during the fall. I'm worried you might make it worse if you try to walk. I'm a neuroprogrammer, so I'm not as good as a mech, but I can take a look and I'll see if I can fix it... Of course, I'll only do that if you'd let me.” Sandeul offers. He’s genuinely concerned about the boy.

“...I don't even know you...”

_Pretty boy's got a point, Junghwan. Never trust strangers who fall from the sky to give you a taste of marshmallow heaven._

“Ah, right. My name's Lee Junghwan. Call me Sandeul. What's your name?” he asks, suddenly remembering to introduce himself.

“...Park... Shinwoo...”

_Shinwoo, huh? Aww, such a cute name. Doesn't really fit him, though. I think something like Seohyun would suit him better. It’s more… refined. Elegant. Classy. Just like me._

“Great, now we're properly aquainted, let me look at those knees.” Sandeul leads Shinwoo to an upturned dumpster that looks clean enough to be used as a bench. Shinwoo doesn't complain when he sits down, which is good, because this is Trip City, and they can't be prissy.

Sandeul crouches down to inspect his. Shinwoo doesn't exhibit any damage externally, but when Sandeul tries to straighten his leg, he flinches in pain. There has to be something wrong with his knees, either the patella or any of the wires surrounding it. He can move his ankle and toes, though, but he can't take a step without pain.

“Okay Shinwoo, I'm going to straighten your leg to determine where the damage is exactly. This will hurt, but you gotta be strong for me. Are you ready?” Sandeul asks, feeling sorry for the pain he's about to put Shinwoo through.

“Yeah... go ahead...” Shinwoo replies, biting his lower lip.

“Alright... here... we... go!”

Shinwoo mutes his voice box so no one will hear his scream, but Sandeul can see the agony in his face when he straigthens the other man's left leg. Resting it on his shoulder, Sandeul proceeds to poke at the affected area. Instead of a clicking sound to indicate dislocation of the patella, he feels shards of what seems to be shards of a broken disk. It's also very tender; he can feel the hydraulic fluid leaking into the motorized hinge joint.

_This is not good._ _Seems like his knees hit the ground first. The patella are shattered and probably cut the hydraulic tube on his knees. He can't walk like this. I'll have to carry him to Yeeun so she can replace the disks. That ought to cost me my last money, but I'm gonna feel like a waste of synthetic skin if I don't help this poor boy..._

“Okay, Shinwoo, I think I've found the problem. But I don't have the ability to fix it, so I'll take you to someone who can. Are you okay with that?” Sandeul asked, hoping Shinwoo still trusts him enough to accept help.

“...You're... too nice, Sandeul-ssi...” Shinwoo says, mostly to himself, looking down at Sandeul with confusion in his eyes.

Sandeul smiles at him. “I'm just doing what any good person would do. Now, you can't walk, so I gotta carry you. Don't worry, I can lift up to 100 kilos without any problem, and you're not that heavy as far as I can tell. So? Do you trust me enough to let me carry you?”

Shinwoo still looks confused, maybe even scared, but he nods anyway.

Careful as not to hurt him anymore, Sandeul brings Shinwoo's foot down from his shoulder and stands up. He stretches for a bit, and, with a reassuring smile, Sandeul gently picks up the injured man.

“We're going to Yeeun's place. She's a qualified mech, so she can fix your knees in no time. She’s gonna charge us for that, but don't worry! I'll take care of everything. You just trust me on this, alright, Shinnie?”

“S-Shinnie...?”

...And they walk off, deeper into the slums of Trip City, to this Yeeun's place.


	2. Female Mechanic Now On Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sandeul takes Shinnie to get fixed at Yenny's. Jinyoung and Channie have a moment.

Sandeul and Shinwoo enter a winding, maze-like alley. It’s dark, grimy and smells terrible. Luckily, they’re cyborgs, so they don’t have to worry about bumping into things and choking from the stench. The space is too tight for two people so they had to go in a single file. Shinwoo had to support himself on a makeshift wooden crutch so he can follow Sandeul, who patiently waits for him at every corner. By the time they get out of the alley, Shinwoo feels like he’s ready to shut down from the pain in his knees, but Sandeul encouraged him to keep going.

“We’re here.” Sandeul announces, picking Shinwoo up once they’re in a wider street. “Sorry I had to make you walk like that, but this is a shortcut to Yeeun’s shop.” He points towards an old-style brick townhouse.

The particular unit Sandeul referred is unique that it has metal bars welded in front of the windows, making it appear like a prison. Speaking of windows, the glass is heavily tinted, so much that they can’t see inside even if they’re clearly light coming from the house. This also seems to be the backdoor, since there isn’t a sign indicating there’s a shop there. Either that or the business owner isn’t interested in advertising their services. Shinwoo clings to Sandeul as they make their way to the door.

Sandeul rings the doorbell multiple times. After a few yelled curses and stomping of feet later, the door is opened.

“What the ever-loving fuck, Sandeul?! I’m closed already!!”

[A woman with pink hair and green eyes stares down at them](http://67.media.tumblr.com/cf05b606c4e1cabc4f30cd199092fff8/tumblr_o98d8uP8lN1sk2kqwo2_540.png). She’s wearing a black tank top that exposes her flat stomach, and grey sweatpants. From the looks of it, she’s a cyborg, since she also has an LED ring around her pupil.

“C’mon, Yeeun. I’m givin’ ya money. No one says no to money.” Sandeul reasons out. Shinwoo feels uncomfortable when Yeeun’s gaze snaps to him. She gives him a good, hard look before shrugging.

“Sure. I’ll do anything for pretty baby right here.” She says, stepping aside so Sandeul can enter.

Shinwoo is sat down in a ratty, (fake) brown leather couch. It’s worn out and he feels like he’s sitting on cardboard. Sandeul sits beside him and grabs a magazine from the glass coffee table. Yeeun tells them to get comfy while she prepares the operating room.

According to the protocol Bom and Dara taught him, Shinwoo scans the new area for any threats. He doesn’t detect any bombs planted within 3 miles of the area, nor does he sense any incoming missiles in his radar. There are weapons stored at various parts of the house, and a 9mm pistol in particular is under the sofa. He can pull that out in case of an emergency. When that’s been cleared, he proceeds to observe his surroundings.

They’re in the first floor, specifically at the living room. It’s piled with boxes and crates of various sizes; some of them are opened, revealing cyborg body parts inside. The floor is covered by a greyish-green carpet that’s been stained with oil, grease and hydraulic fluid. A shelf mounted above the sofa contains little steel figurines that might have been hand-crafted by Yeeun herself.

A wall separates it from what might be the kitchen area, and beside the entrance to the kitchen is the stairs leading up. Yeeun went to the area behind the wall, which could indicate the presence of a door to the basement. Sandeul seems to be comfortable here, seeing as he isn’t wary. He’s reading a magazine called _Reboot_ , though _reading_ might be pushing it, since he’s just flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures.

“Sandeul-ssi, how did you know about this shop?” Shinwoo asks, curious about the relationship between the two.

The other cyborg smirks at him. “We met in a club at Synchron City. After a few drinks, we went to my former penthouse and had some fun in my king-sized bed. The next morning, we exchanged numbers, because why not. And… the rest is history.”

Shinwoo doesn’t understand how they could have fun in a king-sized bed, but he smiles anyway. “That’s nice. She seems like a softie at heart, even though she yelled and cursed at you.”

Sandeul laughs at that. Shinwoo joins him with a light chuckle, trying to read the mood.

“Yeah, tell her that. Yeeun acts all rough and tough, but she likes to make steel figurines in her spare time. She has a thing for beauty, but that’s something she doesn’t show often.” Sandeul says, smiling fondly. “Yeeun’s a great friend. She helped me get over my depression when I got fired. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Even Baro can’t keep me in line, but Yeeun is scary when I turn up here smelling like beer.”

Shinwoo remembers something. “You can drink beer…?”

Sandeul pats him on the head. “You’re either a good boy, or you don’t party often. We can consume beer tailored for our cybernetic bodies. Regular beer won’t go down smoothly, but there’s a special type that converts itself to hydraulic fluid.” He explains.

“I didn’t know that!” Shinwoo exclaimed. “My sister’s so protective of me; she doesn’t even let me party with my friends past 10!”

Sandeul dramatically gasps. “She is evil! How dare she forbid you from partying?! It’s like, one of the 10 Commandments of Stress Relief! Unless you’re one of those who chugs down coolant, you ought to try unwinding or your limbic cord’s gonna fry itself.”

“I find tea to be relaxing.” Shinwoo states in a matter-of-fact tone. “We don’t breathe, but I do breathing exercises to calm me down. Yoga helps too. Music and poetry also soothes me.”

Sandeul slumps in his seat. “Of course… if you’d rather be the next Edgar Allan Poe, so help me God. Either your sister controls your entire life, or you’re just the shy type. So, which one are you?”

“I am the shy type.” Shinwoo replies. “There’s nothing wrong with the silence, except when it goes on for too long. That’s when it gets deafening! So I play music to… you know, minimize the silence?”

Sandeul bursts out laughing. Shinwoo doesn’t understand why.

“Oh holy fuck, Shinnie… How can you _minimize the silence_?! That’s the first time I’ve heard of that!!” Sandeul slaps him on the back and continues laughing until he’s on the floor. “I never took you for a joker, Shinnie!! But… minimize the silence…!!!”

Shinwoo pouts at him, confused by Sandeul’s reaction. He doesn’t recall joking, but he must’ve said something funny to make Sandeul laugh like an idiot.

“Well, you’re having fun, boys.” Yeeun interrupts, instantly stopping Sandeul’s laughing fit. “I prepared everything. Now, let’s get your knees fixed, Shinnie.”

“H-How do you know my name…!?” Shinwoo asked, a bit panicky since he hasn’t even introduced himself yet.

Sandeul gets up and dusts himself. “I sent her a message before we got here. But she told me to fuck off somewhere. I still came, though.” He winks at Yeeun, who rolls her eyes.

“Come on. I don’t have all night.” Yeeun says, gesturing for Sandeul and Shinwoo to follow her.

Sandeul nods, picking Shinwoo up again. They follow her to the basement, through a door under the fridge. Shinwoo figures she keeps coolants and hydraulic fluid in there instead of actual food, since she is a cyborg.

When they get to the operating room, Sandeul places Shinwoo down on a metal table. Yeeun makes him lie on his side. She ties his long black hair into a ponytail so she can see which connector she’d have to use to access his cyberbrain. Every cyborg body has an external USB access point in the form of a receptacle and a plug, and they’re all located at the nape.

The plug can be used to transfer data directly from one person’s cyberbrain to another by plugging it in their receptacle. The communication has to be mutual, because all cyberbrains have powerful defensive mechanisms to prevent hacking. Depending on the manufacturer, there are five types of ‘standard’ plugs, designated A to E. Torukia, the widest distributor of cyborg body and cyberbrains, favour the Type C.

“The surgery will be painful, so I need to shut you down for a bit. You’re okay with that, right, Shinwoo?” Yeeun asks, sliding a thin, flat tool at the slot covering the access port.

“Yeah. I’ll open my access point. Just plug it in, but be gentle. I’m not used to this yet.” Shinwoo reminds her.

Yeeun nods, and flicks the cover open. What she sees surprises her.

**C.N.U.**

**Cybersoul Neurosystem Unit**

None of her standard USB connectors will fit in the receptacle. She’ll have to use a universal jack, one that she hasn’t touched in a long time… the one attached to her very own plug. Reaching behind her, Yeeun flicks her own cover open and pulls her plug out.

“Ooh, you wanna dive deep into Shinwoo’s core, huh?” Sandeul teases.

Yeeun ignores him and pushes her plug inside Shinwoo, connecting their cyberbrains directly to each other. Shinwoo’s eyes close as he prepares to shut down. Yeeun then activates her auto-pilot mode and her cyborg body proceeds to fix Shinwoo’s knees while her Ghost taps into him.

_"Hello. What are you doing here?"_

_Yeeun is greeted by a girl who looks like Shinwoo. But she's just an Imprint, she's not the Ghost inside Shinwoo's shell._

_"Who are you?" Yeeun asked._

_The girl smiles. "My name is Sheena. Nice to meet you, Yeeun-ssi. I think Shinwoo likes you."_

* * *

Chansik is having another nightmare, so Jinyoung drops what he’s doing to wake his friend up. A few slaps later, and the black-haired boy sits up abruptly, bumping foreheads with Jinyoung.

 The red-haired man falls on his butt from the force, but he ignores the pain and hugs Chansik tightly to calm him. The nightmares never did stop, and Jinyoung can see where Chansik is coming from.

 Jinyoung has never fallen in love, but he was with Chansik during his courtship with Sheena, offering him advice and support whenever needed. He might have also developed a crush on Sheena, even though he hasn’t met her yet. Chansik is rather protective of Sheena, and won’t even show her pictures to the others.

A moment later, Chansik has calmed down, and pushes Jinyoung off him. Ever since Sheena died, Chansik shut himself up from the rest of the world, including his three friends. He quit his job too, claiming he’s haunted by the images of Sheena every time he goes to work. Needless to say, Junghwan and Sunwoo were pissed. Jinyoung himself was disappointed.

Before Sheena died, Chansik was the only one with a stable source of income in their group. Jinyoung and Junghwan were fired months before him and Sunwoo could hardly keep a job. They relied on Chansik to temporarily shoulder their expenses, including the bills and the food, so it came as a shock when he told them that he resigned.

_I had to turn tricks to get money for the bills and the food. I told myself I’d never sell my body again, but I couldn’t force Chansik to work when he’s still grieving._

 Jinyoung should be stricter with Chansik, Sunwoo says, because they’re spoiling him too much. He argues that they should understand that he’s going through and incredibly tough time in his life. Junghwan agrees with Sunwoo, because it’s taking too long. Jinyoung, personally, thinks they’re being insensitive, but that’s because of the stress.

_But we’ll make it through. We just have to stick together and believe that we can pull through. Junghwan can still use his separation pay from Torukia, but that’s our last resort. He doesn’t want to touch that unless we’re grovelling on the ground._

Speaking of Junghwan, Jinyoung hasn’t heard from him yet. He messaged Junghwan earlier that there are sightings of police, and warned him to not get in trouble. Sunwoo as well, but Jinyoung doesn’t have high hopes for that guy.

“Hey, Jinyoung…” Chansik taps him on the shoulder. “We haven’t eaten anything but scraps since Tuesday. I thought you were going to make us some nice soup?”

“Oh, right…” Jinyoung chuckles nervously. “I… I couldn’t find enough money to buy the ingredients… I think I can make basic kimchi soup, though…”

Chansik rolls his eyes. “Useless…” he mutters.

It shouldn’t hurt that much, but it pains Jinyoung to hear it from the maknae of their group. Chansik is so young, yet he’s suffered so much. He’s accomplished more than Jinyoung, who was just unfortunate enough to be abandoned in Trip City as a child, by his parents who couldn’t afford to raise another child.

“O-Okay, I’ll just message Junghwan to pick up some ingredients. You like my kimchi soup, right?” Jinyoung hopes he doesn’t sound as close to tears as he thinks he does.

Chansik turned his nose up in disgust. “You’re pushing your responsibility on Junghwan now? Great, Jinyoung. Didn’t think you were the type to bitch out on your duties. I’m sure Junghwan can go a better job than you anyway.”

Something inside Jinyoung broke.

“…You… you’re okay alone, right, Chansik? I’ll go get the ingredients now…” Jinyoung gets up shakily, ignoring Chansik’s accusing gaze, and stumbles out of the room.

He forces the tears back as he picks out the cleanest jacket to wear to the night market. Jinyoung isn’t particularly sensitive, but something about Chansik losing faith in him… it hurts too much. Finally grabbing a coat that isn’t smelly or dirty, he puts it on and walks out the door, hoping the cool night air will dry any tears that escape.


	3. Sharks and Rabbits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bom meets Taeyang. Who knows what Dara's going. Jinyoung encounters the police. Will Taeyang save him?

When Bom and Dara arrived here with Shinwoo, they set up a rendezvous point in the [Angel's Eyes](http://i.imgur.com/6O3rpn5.jpg), the highest floor of the tallest tower in Trip City, situated just at the Gyeongpo beach's concrete coast. It offers a perfect, panoramic view of Synchron City, as it was once a BTS control tower before Seoul fell into urban decay. This one is a great hideout for cyborg criminals because the surrounding area is oozing with toxic sludge from the open manholes and the building's stairwells beyond the third floor have long become rubble. Only they can reach the top, and see the city in all it's shitty glory.

Bom hid here when her signal was disrupted by GD's broadcast to protect her location. As expected from the commander of the Jacks, GD anticipated that move and decided to track Dara instead. The purple-haired renegade sent a message that she 'will probably arrive late since CL joined the party'. Dara's not the only one having fun tonight, as she hears distinctive footsteps approaching her from behind.

"Youngbae..." Bom speaks, her gaze still fixated upon Synchron City. "CL and Dara are having a party, yet you decide to join me instead?" she asked, a smirk pulling at the corner of her otherwise frozen lips.

Taeyang shrugged. "I'd trade anything to spend time with you." he said, smiling.

Bom was about to reply when she suddenly got a message.

`!!!INCOMING MESSAGE!!!`  
_SENDER_YENNYENNYENNY  
_SUBJECT_SHIN-WOO-HOO!!!  
_C.N.U. CURRENTLY IN POSSESSION. DELIVERED BY ACQUAINTANCE 'SANDEUL' [INFORMATION ATTACHED]. CONDITION: BROKEN PATELLAR DISKS, SEVERED POPLITEAL HYDRAULIC TUBES, HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKED TO LOWER EXTREMETIES, NO VISIBLE EXTERNAL DAMAGE. PROCEEDING WITH FULL-SHELL CYBERSURGERY TO REPLACE ALL DAMAGED AND/OR SUB-QUALITY PARTS._

"Bad news?" Taeyang asked, breaking Bom out of her thoughts.

"Not at all." Bom shook her head. "For some reason, Sheena is with Yenny. Apparently, she was delivered there by a friend named 'Sandeul'. Shinwoo's body is a little bit broken, but we all know Yenny. She can fix anything. Anyway, I'm relieved."

"Ah, Yenny, our dear ex-Jack... I haven't seen her in 6 years." Taeyang dares to close the cap between them, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What do you plan to do now? Run and hide until we catch you?" he asked.

"We decided to help Shinwoo develop his Ghost and merge it with Sheen's imprinted Ghost. That ought to be enough to convince the jury that Shinwoo _is_ Sheena, just with a different body. We'll blame the shit on Kangta if the jury asks why the data seems imprinted." Bom replied thoughtfully.

Taeyang hums in agreement. "Yes, blame all this shit on Kangta if shit goes wrong." he chuckles, kissing her shoulder. Bom chuckles, rolling her shoulder to get Taeyang off. He was about to turn her around to steal a quick kiss on the lips, but he recieves a message for one of his subordinates.

`!!!INCOMING MESSAGE!!!`  
_SENDER_ARP94/W-XERO  
_SUBJECT_ROUND-UP  
_DETECTED ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES [UNAUTHORIZED SEXUAL SERVICES TRADE] IN [FOXY DISTRICT]. UNIT [WIZARD] RESPONDED. AWAITING ORDERS._

"Something wrong?" Bom asked.

"Looks like I'm needed. Damn, I can't leave those kids alone in Trip City. They're going to arrest everyone!" Taeyang replies, detaching himself from Bom, who chuckles in amusement.

"Well then, go on ahead." Bom says, turning around to face him. Taeyang was about to say something when she put her finger to his lips, silencing him. Bom plants a kiss on the tip of his nose and smirked.

...That otherwise means 'goodbye and take care'.

* * *

His pockets are empty and his wallet contains nothing but condoms. While walking along Foxy District, the red-haired man counts to a hundredsteps in his head. Once he reaches three digits, he will leave the Whore's Lane and borrow money from that dreaded loanshark Zico again. Whether he pays Zico with servitude (a.k.a. his body) or if he has to beg Junghwan again for that much-needed money, Jinyoung will do everything to make ends meet.

_Though it is painful and it breaks my heart, I must accept that Chansik, our precious maknae, doesn't trust me enough to provide for them anymore. We can only rest our dreams on Junghwan's shoulders, because he's the only one with enough qualifications to land a job in Synchron City. I can work until I die, but the money I will earn in Trip City will barely pay one month's electric bills. Chansik is right... I am useless._

_97...98...99..._

"Do you work here?" a man asked.

Jinyoung looks up, so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't see the youthful-looking [man](http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a9/1a/07/a91a07dcfe59311ac46fb4589a8489d8.jpg) standing right in front of him. With his ash-colored hair, pale white skin and icy blue eyes, he looks like an angel-faced evil with that mischievous smirk on his lips. He might a cyborg, or has cybernetic implants like most people from Synchron City. The man is wearing a red jacket over a black shirt and pants.

"Yes..." Jinyoung replied, avoiding the man's eyes. "What... service do you require...?" he asked.

"Just your hand will be fine tonight." the man replies, reaching for his zipper. Jinyoung breathes out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he can score a decent amount today, since he **_was_** famous for his 'amazing right arm'.

"Not here. Let's go somewhere more private." Jinyoung says, leading the man into one of the numerous dead-end alleys in Foxy District. The man follows him without any fuss. Getting to work quickly, Jinyoung reaches for the man's zipper, only to be stopped by... 

...A cold, steel handcuff snapping on his wrist. The man suddenly pushes him against the wall and pins his arms behind him.

"Unregulated sex trade is strictly prohibited and is punishable by 6 years in prison if proven guilty. Please come quietly to prevent any unneccessary harm on yourself." the policeman whispered.

* * *

To think that _he_ would be the one dealing with the Riot Police, after he sent warnings to Sunwoo and Junghwan, who are the usual trouble makers in their group. Jinyoung instantly regrets 'taking a chance' since now he's being taken by the cop to a car that he didn't notice earlier. One of the policement is leaning against the vehicle, while the other is scanning the area with a visor. Jinyoung can feel tears welling in his eyes

"Got something, Hansol?" the [one](http://kpopinfo114.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/topp-dogg-hojoon-e1444811930171.jpg) leaning against the car asked. He has stylish blonde hair with a bluish-green tint, and is wearing the same clothes as Hansol. That might just be their civilian uniform.

"He's a pretty little flower, but we're not evil. C'mon Hojoon, let's go take him to the boss." the Hansol guy says, pushing Jinyoung towards the Hojoon guy. "Hey B-Joo, we're done here. Get in the car."

"Area's clear. Seems like this is the only fish we got tonight. The boss won't be happy." B-Joo puts his visor away, following Hansol. This [B-Joo](http://data.whicdn.com/images/109831904/superthumb.jpg) guy looks sweet. He has blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a calm expression on his face.

B-Joo calmly ushers Jinyoung to the backseat while Hojoon enters the passanger's side. Hansol slides in the opposite door of the backseat, firmly putting Jinyoung in between the two officers.

"Hey Xero, let's get outta here." Hojoon suggests to the driver. Jinyoung leans forward a little to look at the man's face, if only just the side.

Platinum blonde hair and rosy white porcelain skin give an angelic feel, but [Xero's](http://data.whicdn.com/images/126220342/large.png) irises are pitch black and have glowing white LED rings around his pupils,. He looks like a doll, especially with his lack of expression.

"Hey, what's your name?" B-Joo asks, offering Jinyoung a gentle smile.

"J-Jung Jinyoung..." it's no use hiding his identity anyway. B-Joo nods and pats his thigh lightly to reassure him.

"We're not going to hurt you, but we will perform an investigation on your background to determine whether or not you're subject to imprisonment, or if you can get away with a warning." Hojoon tells him.

"Usually, prostitutes only get a warning, but if you've done other illegal things, like, let's say, you were a pimp, you did drugs, or you convinced other people to sell their bodies, well, that's gonna land you a jail sentence. But you look like a good boy, so I'm guessing you're just a lost soul trying to find his place in the world." B-Joo adds.

Jinyoung nods, hoping he can get out of this without bail.

"Prostitution is illegal, but sometimes smoking the big D is the only way to earn money." Hansol says non-chalantly. He doesn't mean it maliciously... but still...

Jinyoung can't contain the tears at Hansol's bluntness. Hojoon scolds him and B-Joo surprisingly catches Jinyoung's tear before it drops.

"We have a program in Synchron City called 'Shine a Light'. It was made to help those who underwent sexual abuse recover. The project was started by Colonel GD, commander of the Riot Police, since the Jacks have rounded up a lot of prostitutes from Trip City. Jinyoung... you deserve a better life. We can help you become the man you always wanted to be. Let us guide you through the darkness." B-Joo takes Jinyoung's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

B-Joo is so nice Jinyoung cried even more.

"If you're good enough, you can even find a spot in the Riot Police!" Hansol chirps in, just to change the mood. "The 'Shine a Light' project really works! Just ask Xero!"

...B-Joo smacks Hansol. Hojoon tells him to shut up. Jinyoung understood enough, though.

"... Lieutenant Taeyang is here..." Xero's soft voice catches their attention.

Jinyoung prays to whoever is listening that he'll survive this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenny finishes fixing Shinnie. Jinyoung contacts Sandeul to ask for help. Shinnie gets a makeover.

`_COMPOSE MESSAGE_`  
_TO;MRPBJACKS/BOM032484_  
_SUBJECT;_SHEENA-WOO-HOO!!!_  
_RE:CYBERIZATION SURGERY COMPLETE. THE C.N.U. IS IN PERFECT CONDITION. SHEENA'S GHOST IMPRINT IS IMPECCABLE. KANGTA IMPROVED HIS SKILLS. SHINWOO'S PSEUDO-GHOST IS STILL LOCKED IN FRAGMENTED SPACE_  
_SHELL: TORUKIA® LC9 GRAPHENE™ SHELL {WEIGHT: 30 KG; ALL INTERNAL COMPOMENTS INCLUDED; MODEL NO. 0526-89}_  
_CORE: TORUKIA® COR LUMINA™ REACTOR POWER CORE {ANDROMETONIUM CONC. 70%, MAGELLANIUM CONC. 20%, MESSIERITE 10%}_  
_ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS INSTALLED: TORUKIA® THERMOSENSITIVE SHOCK-ABSORBING ADIPOTITE™ NATUFOAM {THICKNESS: 2.563 CM}; TORUKIA® SENSISYNTH™ 'SUPER NATURAL' SKIN; NEW HYDRAULIC TRANSPORT TUBES AND NEW NERVE WIRES_  
_SHEENA'S MESSAGE;_  
_TAKE CARE, BOMMIE. SHINWOO AND I ARE SAFE. PLEASE PROTECT HIM FOR ME._

After pulling the USB plug from Shinwoo’s nape, Yeeun declares the 78-minute long re:cyberization surgery a resounding success, and returns her mounted tools back to her forearms. The cyborg mechanic glances at Sandeul, a tech freak himself, is stunned at how rapidly she dismantled Shinwoo’s cyborg body to leave only the cyberbrain unit working, and build a new one from scratch. Cyberization surgeries take the better half of the day, but Yeeun needed over an hour to accomplish the feat; a testament to the skill of a licensed cybermech who worked for the Riot Police.

“Come here, Sandeul. I want you to take a look at Shinnie’s new body.” Yeeun calls for him, and he dumbly walks over, still surprised at how fast she handled a day-long procedure in less than two hours.

“The latest trend in Synchron City appears to be gradient lip tint, so I thought of giving him a makeover.” Yeeun points at Shinwoo’s peachy coral-tinted lips. “Although Shinnie already has long lashes, I added a bit of curl so he doesn’t have to use mascara.” she points to the dark, thick lashes resting atop his cheeks.

Sandeul raises an eyebrow at her. “Yeye, Shinnie may be a pretty baby, but he’s a guy. At least, I think he identifies as a guy, so I don’t think the mascara is really an issue. But he’ll probably thank you for the effort.”

Yeeun rolls her eyes because he doesn't seem impressed with her hard work. “Guys never notice it when girls look prettier.” she mumbles, brushing away some stray hairs from Shinwoo's forehead. Sandeul does notice that Shinwoo’s hair has become glossier, and after touching it, he can confirm it’s become softer and silkier.

“Hey, did you use semi-synthetic hair?” he asked, feeling the strands between his fingers. “It’s such a nice texture. The haircut’s boring, but that may be Shinnie’s style so let’s not mess with that.”

“No, I used lab-grown heat-proof, damage-resistant human hair. It also grows three centimeter longer every year, but it’s resistant to dyes and bleaching, so it will be black forever. Though, I do think Torukia® produces dyes specially made for their hair…” Yeeun replied, stroking Shinwoo’s hair again. She _really_ likes the texture.

Sandeul also noticed that Shinwoo’s eyelashes and even his eyebrows seem to be made from the same material. “I’m so jealous. My semi-synthetic Yak hair is gorgeous, but it’s still far from the beauty of real human hair. At least I can color it, and my haircut is nicer.”

Yeeun laughs dryly. “Yeah, I know. Overall, Shinnie is cute, but plain, so I added a little something to his pretty eyes. Look, he’s almost done rebooting. Get ready for a sweet surprise…”

Shinwoo finished rebooting; long lashes are fluttering open to reveal [bright pink eyes](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xuutLDQ9F7Y/VD539olRkMI/AAAAAAAAbU8/bEt3knANX5I/s1600/Barbie-Sugar-Candy-pink-hyominyanlee-a.png). The LED circle around his pupil is now clear so it doesn't give him a distinctly cyborg feel, and Sandeul thinks it looks good on him, especially with the makeover Yeeun did.

“…S-Sandeul-ssi? …Yeeun-ssi…?” Shinwoo mumbles incoherently, still reeling from the 78-hour hibernation.

Sandeul and Yeeun help him sit up; he's woozy, but he's otherwise okay. He's still unclothed, but nobody minds because they're all cyborgs here. And besides, Shinwoo still has his marvelous booty, as Sandeul can see when Yeeun ushers him off the table to get dressed.

“…Yeeun-ssi…Thank you…” said Shinwoo, turning to the pink-haired girl. Yeeun smiles and helps him put his shirt back on. The fit is just right, since she didn’t modify too much of his body side, just slimmed him down a bit because of the new shell.

“…I feel even better…You did a great job…” Shinwoo offers a small smile, and Yeeun hugs him, pleased that _at least someone_ appreciated her effor t. “…Thank you so much, Yeeun-ssi…”

“No need to thank me, Shinnie-ah. It’s all out of the goodness of my heart. Now, how about we finish putting your clothes on so we can talk at the living room. I have a lot of stuff that might interest you? Do you like to read? I got tons of old and new magazines that you’ll enjoy. If you’re interested, I can show you more of my steel sculptures.” Yeeun seems to be in a good mood, since she’s not asking them to pay up right now.

Sandeul was about to tease her, but he feels someone trying to access his cyberbrain.

“Hey, wait. It looks like someone broke through your negative field.” Sandeul cradles his head, trying to rebuild his walls so he can't get hacked. “Yeeun, do something! Someone’s trying to tap into my brain!”

However, Yeeun doesn't seem to care. “Could it be Jinyoung, who finally cracked and got a cyberbrain? He could be trying to contact you. Or it could be Baro, who got jailed again and begged an officer to allow him to contact you. Try answering it.” Yeeun suggested.

Sandeul frowned, but when Shinwoo looked at him worriedly, he turned it to a frown so as not to worry the pretty baby. “It’s okay. I'll be fine. Let’s go upstairs, this place is kinda creepy when Yeye’s not being noisy, tinkering with stuff.”

Shinwoo follows Sandeul and Yeeun upstairs after getting dressed, but not before giving the room a once-over.

`_SCANNING AREA_`  
_SUBJECT: FUN TIME WITH YENNY UNNIE AND SANDEULLIE_  
_ENTRY 005/DAY 2_  
_SHINNIE'S RE:CYBERIZATION ROOM!! WOW~ YENNY UNNIE IS SO GOOD AT MAKING CYBORG BODIES!! KANGTA IS MEAN, HE GAVE SHINNIE A POOR QUALITY BODY!! BAD KANGTA!! BOM UNNIE WILL PUNISH YOU!! BUT YENNY UNNIE IS NICE AND EVEN GAVE ME EYELASH EXTENSIONS!! WOO-HOO!!! I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE NATURAL GRADIENT LIPS!! I WISHED THE COLOR WAS MORE ON THE PINK SIDE, BUT PEACHY CORAL IS NICE TOO!! AND I CAN STILL BLUSH!! YENNY UNNIE IS SO CONSIDERATE; MY BLUSH IS BABY PINK, LIKE MY FAVORITE COLOR!! I LOVE PASTEL COLORS, EVEN MY EYES ARE PASTEL ROSY PINK!! I LOOK SO PRETTY NOW!! I'LL SEND A PIC TO BOM UNNIE LATER. SHINNIE-AH, LET’S HAVE MORE FUN WITH YENNY UNNIE AND SANDEULLIE!! CIAO~_  
_TAKING PHOTOGRAPHICAL EVIDENCE_  
_FILED UNDER ♡LOVELY DAY DIARY♡ FOLDER_

Shinwoo finally goes up to see Yeeun and Sandeul at the living room, speaking with someone through an external port. He walks over to them, but passes by Sandeul to look at the stack of magazines Yeeun was referring to. He still hears their conversation, but ignores it, because Sheena’s not interested.

“Hello?”

“Junghwan! It's me!!”

“J-Jinyoung?! What the fuck?!”

\---

Jinyoung was taken to _Glass Bead_ , the only functioning hotel in all of Trip City, which also serves as the Riot Police’s HQ here. They chose this because the designated police station has been consumed by urban decay and virtually indistinguishable from another one of Trip City’s rotting concrete structures. _Glass Bead_ holds the honor of being the only building around here that has a sanitary permit with the facilities to prove it.

“Y’know, the inside isn’t too bad. The lobby’s floor is made of marble and the lighting is pretty good. The decorations are probably outdated, but the beds are in good condition.” Taeyang says as they enter the revolving door leading to the hotel's interior.

Jinyoung’s been here once when he first came to Trip City, back when he was fresh out of the country and was impressed with every single thing. That was 10 years ago and it's still well-maintained, which is a bonus considering Trip City has been called Trash City for the sheer amount of pollution in the area.

Taeyang probably checked in before as they head straight to the elevator to the third floor. Xero leads him into the elevator, but not before Jinyoung spots a telephone in the lobby's desk. If he could just make a call, he can contact Junghwan and get out of prison if his dear friend could testify for him.

_Stupid B-Joo, giving me false hope! I thought I could just waltz out of here without shitting myself! But Taeyang gladly told me that I need to spend a few years in the cooler before I could qualify for that project!! Damn it all!!_

They reach the third floor quickly and he's bought to Room 163, which has a paper stuck to the front of the door. "`WIZARD UNIT`" is written on the piece of paper, so that must be the codename for Taeyang's men. The room's interior is relatively plain, with mostly browns on white walls and wooden furniture.

“Okay, Jinyoung-ssi. Have a seat."”Taeyang says, taking Jinyoung by the elbow and leading him to sit on the bed. He gets ready for a long lecture.

“I’ve been informed about your case. Now, in accordance to the new protocol passed by Commander G-Dragon, we need to perform a background check on you. Hansol, B-Joo and Hojoon will be interviewing people in Foxy District and pick out the ones who are unbiased. If proven that you’ve been dealing in illegal sex trade within the last 5 years, you'll be jailed. If not, we'll let you go with just a warning. Are we clear?” Taeyang explained.

_Wow, it’s not that long. Thank goodness._

“I understand.” Jinyoung replies almost instantly.

_Unbiased opinion my ass, everybody is biased. If you weren’t so biased, why did you arrest me and not the others across the street?! Just because I'm a **guy**?! So a dude selling his ass is bad, but girls can do it? You’re fucking sexist! How dare you consider it normal that poor girls sell their bodies?! Fucking misogynists!!_

“Xero will stay with you here. I’ll be outside, focusing on our real mission. Are you going to be okay here, Jinyoung-ssi?” Taeyang asked, addressing Jinyoung directly.

Jinyoung nodded and Taeyang pats him on the head. “You’re a good kid.” he says, leading the three other officers out of the door. Once it shuts behind him, Jinyoung turns to Xero.

“You gotta hear me out!!” he grabs Xero by his shoulders, shaking the blonde cyborg. “I just need to talk to this friend of mine. He’s my witness. He knows I stopped doing it 10 years ago. He has a cyberbrain, so you can access his data memory or something. Please...” he begs.

The blonde cyborg stared at him for a moment, processing the request.

“…Denied…” Xero replied flatly.

Jinyoung’s not giving up that easily. _This can backfire horribly, but at least I tried_.

“Look, I don’t know your story but I know for sure you won’t tell me. But listen to this... Whatever happened to you in the past, _please_ , don’t beat yourself up over it. It's not your fault.”

Xero froze for a second before relaxing. He looked away from Jinyoung, a melancholic expression on his face.

“…He said…my fault…” his voice is low and shaking, like he’s trying not to cry ( _Do cyborgs cry?_ ).

“That's bullshit!” Jinyoung grabs Xero’s face, forcing the blonde to look at him. “Listen to me. It’s not your fault. You didn't choose to get abused, but you're choosing to become the _victim_ , and that’s not gonna help you. Why don’t you try being a _survivor_ instead?”

Xero made a whimpering sound. “…Survivor…?” he asked, sounding confused.

Jinyoung nodded, releasing the blonde from his grip. “Yeah, become a survivor, Xero. You’re not a victim. Look at yourself now. You’re in the Riot Police, the elite soldiers of the military. Be proud of what you achieved for yourself. Be proud of your own recovery." he smiled warmly, hoping Xero can get it through his steel-plated skull.

“…Jinyoung-ssi…” Xero spoke after a few moments. “…Permission granted…Please input UNC address…”

“`T032092-LEEJUNGHWAN`, all caps, no spaces.” Jinyoung replied. _It worked!! I can’t believe it!! I can get outta jail!!_

Xero nodded and pulled out a cord from the base of his nape. “…Locating `T032092-LEEJUNGHWAN`… Establishing connection…” he says, taking something out of his jacket’s pocket. It looks like a speaker and he attaches it to the USB’s connector.

It might be the mouthpiece for Jinyoung to speak at, since he’s not directly connected to Junghwan via a cyberbrain. _Damn cyborgs have it easy. I need a phone while they can talk to someone without even speaking._

“…Connection established… Please input message…” Xero says, holding out the microphone in front of Jinyoung.

\---

Sandeul confirms the caller to be Jinyoung, talking through a cyborg with him. They move upstairs to the living room so they can also listen to the conversation using an external speaker Yeeun has. Shinwoo is less interested in the conversation and is currently scanning through Yeeun's stack of magazines for something interesting.

“Look Junghwan, I got arrested because some cops think I'm a hooker.” Jinyoung begins his plea for help; his voice fuzzy and a bit strange-sounding because of Yeeun's partially active negative field.

“You gotta testify for me. I haven't sold my ass In 10 years, so they can’t arrest me. However, the people at Foxy District still consider me one of them, so the cops are bound to think I still whore my ass out.” Jinyoung doesn’t sound like he’s pleading though. But he is, he’s just good at hiding his panic when speaking through a phone.

Sandeul purses his lips, thinking of a way to bail Jinyoung out. “You got your ass caught by the Riot Police. Dude, we’re talking about thethe _Riot Police_. They don’t accept bail, and your best bet is to get a lawyer, since those kinds of people won’t listen to ’friends and family’. Besides… You were whoring yourself out again, weren’t you?”

“That's not the point!” Jinyoung retorts. “If they straight up don’t allow me to provide a qualified witness, then they're also breaking the law, not to mention violating my human rights! Just because I’m a ‘Trip City scum’ doesn’t mean I’m any less of a person than them fucking Synchron City elitists!” he exclaims, clearly desperate about his situation.

Yeeun glances at Shinwoo, who is still not interested in whatever they're talking about. He finds a magazine called _Navillera_ , which Yeeun uses for reference when sculpting butterfly steel figurines.  He doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, to be honest.

Sandeul is having a hard time thinking of how to bail Jinyoung out since he can’t just leave his friend there to rot in prison for years.

“Let me think, let me think first…” Sandeul takes a deep breath, calming himself somewhat. He's not an expert at bailing people out _without_ money, so this isn’t as easy as it looks. Baro only gets caught by regular city cops, so he just has to slip a few credits in their pocket and Baro’s a free man.

_But this isn’t as simple as that. This is the Riot Police, who take the law very seriously and don't fuck around when it comes to criminals._

“Yeye, this is the first time Jinyoung’s been in trouble with the law. I don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do. I’m used to Baro getting his ass busted by the cops, but…Jinyoung of all people?! How am I gonna handle this?!” he turns to his good friend, hoping Yeeun can supply an answer to their dilemma.

Yeeun is also out of it. “I dunno, Sandeul. I mean, the law states that anyone who worked in the illegal sex trade industry for the last 5 years is suspect for imprisonment. They do background checks and all that, but everyone is biased one way or another. Some may protect Jinyoung while the others could outright sell him out. And Foxy District doesn’t have the most trustworthy people.” she replies, feeling bad about her inability to help a friend.

Sandeul growls in frustration. “I know, I’m like, his last hope of getting out of that since I’m pretty much the only witness he can provide who actually has a cyberbrain and who’s known him for five years. They can scan my memories of him. We take the same train to work, but he comes from Trip City while I used to live in Synchron City… So I don't know what he does after work… I only moved here when I got kicked outta work…"

“Yeah, but he was a receptionist in BANA Electronics, a.k.a. ‘the poor man’s Torukia’, while you worked in the _real_ Torukia as a neuroprogrammer. Even if you did work in the same company, receptionists barely interact with neuroprogrammers so you can’t always see him. I also doubt BANA Electronics will testify for a former employee. And you're right; no one knows what he does after work, other than his former co-workers, or Gongchan, and possibly Baro.”

Sandeul wants to face-plant. “Gongchan and Baro **_don't_** have cyberbrains to scan. We can’t contact any of Jinyoung’s co-workers, besides, would you testify to save an ex-hooker from the Riot Police? I wouldn’t, but Jinyoung’s my friend and I can't let him down after all he's done for us!”

“…Riot Police…” Shinwoo mumbles, flipping through the pages of _Navillera_. “…The soldier and the judge… Living on either side of the fire…” he glances at Sandeul through his thick-framed glasses.

“Do you know something we don't?” Sandeul asked, confused by Shinwoo’s words.

“…The Riot Police pride themselves in their work as the peacekeepers of the country…” Shinwoo turns back to the magazine. “…Bommie noona once told me that you should sort where your loyalties lie first, before you become a Riot Police…”

Sandeul hasn’t heard Shinwoo talk so much since meeting him. “What are you trying to say?” he asked, hoping this isn’t just for show, and that Shinwoo knows something.

Shinwoo looks back at Sandeul. “…The law is the law, but people are people…” he begins with the famous quote. Sandeul and Yeeun stare at him.

“…Humans have a ‘conscience’ that tells them what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’… Ask them this… If they arrest a man who tells the truth, just because the law says so, did they do what is ‘right’? But if they let him go because he proved his innocence, and broke the law because of that, did they do what is ‘wrong’? Or is it the other way around…? If so… then what is the _real_ notion of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, relating to the ‘human conscience’...?”

Sandeul has never thought about it that deeply. _All I’ve done is bail Baro out with money, but was that the ‘right’ thing? Baro did some pretty bad stuff, like robbing a bank and stealing a car, both of which are morally considered ‘wrong’. And here's Jinyoung who was only trying to make ends meet... He’s apparently doing the ‘right’ thing, but he's using the ‘wrong’ means to do so... Argh, this is so confusing! How do I testify for that kind of shit?!_

Shinwoo notices Sandeul is having a hard time processing that. “…I mean, let’s just bust him out…”

… _That makes better sense._

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted @ http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1153119/  
> But I don't like that website, so I'll just post it here.


End file.
